“Hospitals in particular are quite dangerous places. Nurses, our members, are reporting more and more abuse from patients and relatives,” she said.
“It’s not always physical abuse but there are instances definitely of physical abuse, but certainly verbal abuse and threats, and it’s really not a safe place to work all the time.”

Ms Kearney says nurses do not always feel they can report the violence.

She says state and federal governments should compel employers to consult with staff about health and safety issues as they occur.

“We really want the new OH and S laws to empower the workers, empower our nurses to feel that they can go to their employers and say, ‘Hey, we’re really worried about our workplace’,” she said.

“We want to make sure that the nurses are involved in the discussions about building safe workplaces and having measures there to help them.”

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